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My Virtual Reality

People scrunch their noses up when I reveal that I don’t drink. The nose dance is a predictable first step. Step two is asking, often in the same hurried breath “WHY?!”. Step three is watching confusion hit their face like a water balloon after I answer.

You see, obsession for me is a way of life.

I’ve never been the smartest or strongest, but I can run rings out of others in wide-eyed stubbornness. Give me a puzzle to unlock and I will spend six months taking it apart until I can build one even better. This is especially true if it is said to be impossible. And while most are concerned about trimming their mores to culturally acceptable lengths, staying on the fringes is where I feel most comfortable. This entertaining trait is either a recipe for blazing success or unmitigated disaster.

In March virtual reality arrived on my doorstep in the form of an Oculus Dev Kit 1, and within a few hours in I knew that I’d found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. This is the medium all other mediums have been building towards. The potential here is bigger than anyone can imagine right now, even factoring the enormous hype. It will change everything.

Started Chicago VR, a meetup for like-minded VR enthusiasts and developers. We hit 50 members last week!

Met one of the nicest, most passionate, unendingly creative communities I’ve ever seen. There is brilliance every day in the forums of Oculus and on r/oculus.

And I was lucky to get into Oculus Connect. I’m excited to learn about developing in VR from the experts and high-five some of my heroes.

It has been a wonderful ride. 6 months in, feels like 6 days.

When I met Palmer I was amazed by how kind he was with his time. He stopped at each booth and truly listened, sharing his ideas, admitting he might not have all of the answers. It was humbling to see from someone who was on that month’s Popular Mechanic and Wired. When he came to my booth, after he made it through the whole 8 minute meditation (he was the first), I thanked him for creating the Rift. His response shocked me, but seen through the filter above, maybe shouldn’t have.

He, and everyone in VR right now, is similar. We’re all happily obsessed, rigging the foundation of a medium we’ve seen a glimpse into the future of, aiming to make it right. Palmer’s response to “Thank you for building this.” was “Thank you for developing for it.”.